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| 1432 departs from Pinhaõ working back from Pocinho to Porto. 20.05.2025 |
Sunday 18th May:
Ready for an early start having arrived into Porto late the previous night.
At the time of booking the trip, Medway's last MLW, 1964 had been quite regular on the Godim cement train down the Douro line, so it made sense to be able to get into position for it this morning. Of course, since booking the trip 1964 had failed and been sidelined for several months, and with all of the 'interesting' Alsthom 1900's (1903/1905) also now sidelined the best we could hope for was one of the black Alsthom 1900's.
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| The returning Godim Cement, led by 1904, from the air, at the rear of the train is the delightful Quinta de Sao Bernardo. 18.05.2025 |
The trip had already got off to a dubious start- while billed as a stag do for a friend, the aim of the trip was predominantly some hardcore railway photography. So it was rather unfortunate that I had managed to leave my camera on the floor at home in my haste to leave the house (and not forget my passport).
Things didn't go well- while 1904 was rostered to the turn, the weather had not produced and we wandered down to Camphana just in time to miss the train anyway! We had planned to photograph IR850 inbound from Figueira de Foz with drones, but since the weather was dismal we decided to ride it instead. A quick run up to Ermesinde behind 2627 offered the surprise of another set pulling in in the adjacent platform... I had to make the call to sacrifice our 'nice breakfast' to get another sparky in the book. Joining IR865 with 1461 back at Camphana also aided us in getting good seats at the front of the train for the run onto the Douro.
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| 2609 pauses at Porto Campanhã. 18.05.2025 |
With the weather improving attention turned to photographing the return freight, and Barqueiros was settled upon, reached by some 592 'Camelo' units. With half-light on the train were were pleased enough. Even more pleasing was to discover the Quinta de Sao Bernardo where we could enjoy a pleasant glass of wine at their bar in the gap before the next train. This spot was a delightful find and also provided a 'take-away' bottle of wine for later. I guess we would not be needing the beers we had already bought from the Aregos bar!
Back on the trains it was up to Mosteirô to meet with the rest of the group and properly commence this 'Stag do that wasn't a stag do' and get that wine from Barqueiros flowing. With the light still not great, and the promise of a new bar, we move straight on to Covelinhas with the hope that the light might come through for our final planned shot of the day. It didn't but the bar produced some beers and provided a bottle of unmarked port. This passed the time nicely until it was time step back to Pinhaõ for more beer and port before the final move on to Régua to check in to our accommodation for the week, an apartment 5 minutes from the station.
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| 1904 works the return Godim cement train, seen passing Barqueiros. 18.05.2025 |
Dinner and more wine followed, resulting in the expiration of several members of the group... Oops- we maybe got a bit carried away on the first night!
IR831 2627 Porto Campanhã - Ermesinde
IR850 2609 Ermesinde - Porto Campanhã
IR865 1461 Porto Campanhã - Aregos
IR871 1432 Mosteirô - Covelinhas
IR875 1454 Covelinhas - Pinhaõ
R4200 1432 Pinhaõ - Régua
Monday 19th May:
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| 1415 in the Tua gorge, heading towards Pocinho. 19.05.2025 |
Plans to photograph the first Up train, which had been seen going down to Pocinho with a full rack of Sorefame coaches last night were soon abandoned when it rolled past the apartment window! On a positive, the weather had dawned better than expected and all were able to drag themselves up for our planned train down the line in order to spend the morning photographing the trains around Tua. Even better news, was that following a covert mission to retrieve it from my bedroom floor before their later flight, our 'stag' Rhys had managed to re-unite me with my forgotten camera! Cheers!
The sky soon clouded over, taking out our morning photos in the Tua gorge, and lunch got off to a bad start as well with the planned restaurant full of staff... but closed! Fortunately the usual bar behind the station was open to provide sustenance.
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| An expensive shot of 1454 crossing the river Tua viaduct. 19.05.2025 |
We had a few more photos to check out around Tua, during which time we checked out our restaurant for later, the Beira-Rio, had an ice cream and accidentally discovered a boat option to get across the river.
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| 1427 arrives at Regua with IR861 to Pocinho. 19.05.2025 |
This seemed an excellent plan as we had some time and it would enable a nice shot of the next train on the viaduct. Communication was a little challenging, and it sounded like the quick trip across the river was going to cost €10 each, a lot of money when compared to the €1 fare to get across at Aregos, but there we go. We made it to the photo spot, achieved a nice sunny shot and fortunately found that the boatman was still waiting to return us. Clearly he had seen us coming as we eventually ended up parting with €30 each for the couple of minutes crossing of the river! We think we must have paid for a full hours private riverboat tour and just decided not to use it. Ah well... Shot done. It won't need repeating!
After many many steps up and down the Tua area to photograph trains, dinner was enjoyed before taking the last train back to Régua. Being in slightly better condition tonight we did manage to get to the 'Port wagon' where a couple of bottles were enjoyed until it became clear that our welcome was expiring.
IR861 1427 Régua - Alegria
R4200 1461 Tua - Régua
Tuesday 20th May:
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| IR862 emerges from Godim tunnel with a full rake of Sorefame coaches hauled by 1427. 20.05.2025 |
Another fairly early start as today we really had to target that full Sorefame rake which had done the overnight trip once again. Over several visits to this line it has been a long held ambition to one day capture a full rake of these lovely silver coaches, but until this time now we had never seen one.
There aren't many options to get decent light on this first run, and our best bet was deemed to be a taxi move up to the tunnel at Godim to capture IR826. Getting a taxi from Regua was no issue but communicating our plan was not quite so easy! Having overshot our location, we managed to turn the taxi around and persuade our somewhat confused driver to wait for us while we got the shot. Fortunately it all worked and a quartet of happy photographers returned to their taxi complete with a nice Sorefame shot- and still the taxi on the meter cost considerably less than yesterday's boat!
It was now time to pick up our booked agenda, down to Ferradosa for some more hardcore photography. After a considerable walk back down the gorge, today the sun gods were on our side and we were rewarded with a picture of 1432 emerging from the Valira tunnel on IR865.
All were very pleased to be rewarded with an ice cream and a beer at the bar near Ferradosa station while we waited for 1432 to return and take us back to Pinhaõ on IR868. We had a lengthy lunch stop here which, after a long slog up the hill, was spent at the lovely Quinta Rosa (not the cheapest meal!).
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| IR865 is led out of the Valeira tunnel by 1432. 20/05/2025 |
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Like them or not, the RENFE 592 'Camelo' DMU's are a firm
part of the Douro scene. 218 stands at Pinhaõ. 20.05.2025 |
Now it was a repeat of Monday's move to Covelinhas- this time with less port and plenty more sunshine- though I'm not totally sure my paddling shot next to the causeway totally worked!
Back to Pinhaõ on IR875 for a quick re-stock courtesy of our favourite port selling grocery store (which was open despite saying it was closed). This provided a sort of packed dinner for R4200 with 1415, enabling us to head straight to the port wagon on arrival at Regua. I think we all felt pity for the French party who were travelling all the way to Porto- having enjoyed the luxury of a hauled train as far as Regua it was now an all shacks Camello to Marco de Canaveses for an all shacks EMU onwards!
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| 1427 crosses the causeway at Covelinhas working IR876. 20.05.2025 |
IR861 1436 Régua - Ferradosa
IR868 1432 Ferradosa - Pinhaõ
IR875 1436 Covelinhas - Pinhaõ
R4200 1415 Pinhaõ - Régua
Wednesday 21st May
Douro freight day again- and since our stag Rhys had managed to repel it on all previous visits, and also still required 'the shot' at Ribadouro this was the obvious plan for the morning.
It had dawned beautifully sunny in Regua- but alas, as we headed up the valley a heavy mist set in!
As if the weather wasn't enough of our problem, after proclaiming how pleasant it was not to be barked at constantly by the usual dog, some locals then came and started a fire burning some of the green vegetation, and virtually smoking out our shot as well! Fortunately some kind words via Google Translate did the trick and the fire was subdued for the passing of our train!
This took out the first few shots at Ribadouro, including Medways 1904 on the freight- but we did at least still manage to capture 1427 on IR865 once the cloud had lifted.
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| 1436 and its rake of Sorefames cross the viaduct at Ribadouro on a still misty morning. 21/05/2025 |
Of course we still had the return of the freight, which was seen at Aregos- where everything was closed. The bar appears not to open on Wednesdays, and in my non-existent Portugeese I also managed to conclued that there was no boat across the river today either.
After the passage of the big Alsthom it was time to get out to somewhere with a few more supplies- back to Mosteriô and a bit of a walk down to a 'new' cafe down by the Porto Antigo hotel. What one member of the group thought was a terrible plan quickly became brilliant once Francesinha's were spotted on the menu and even more so when there were four on our table!
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| Medway 1904 at Aregos with the Godim Cement. 21/05/2025 |
All too soon it was time for our exit from the Douro with 1427 doing the honours on IR868 back to Campanhã for a tram to the airport. An excellent few days on the Douro, made better by the great company and attractive train formations! While some will disagree- the multicoloured arrays that this line can produce are not for me- and it was therefore wonderful, not only to see the consistent use of orange locos, but also the absence of almost all of the colourful coaches that split up the nice sliver red and cream rakes- just may 'favorite' blue coach to get in the way this week!
IR860 1432 Régua - Mosteriô
IR868 1427 Mosteriô - Porto Campanhã
After Divaca the line singles and the scenery becomes more spectacular until the train reached Koper a little behind schedule. There is also evidence of the new tunnel route which appears now to be substantially complete. The new formation is initially to be used by uphill trains from the port, until the whole formation is complete with two tracks, at which point the scenic old line will close, potentially becoming a bus track. Upon arrival at Koper it was time to make the quick walk to the garage, pick up our second hire car of the trip, and check out a few of the scenic spots while the weather was exceeding the forecast. 
